Does driving a 2019 Ford Expedition XLT in Eco mode reduce engine and transmission life?

[vintshave]

I was just reading online a JD Power article saying that driving in Eco mode is harder on the engine and transmission. Since I get around 12mpg in normal mode in city driving, I would like to improve my fuel economy, but not at the expense of costly repairs. Does anyone here have any experience with this?

 

[bmpcamry09]

I do tuning on these. The eco shift maps and normal mode shift maps are the same. Literally all eco mode does is reduce throttle response. It’s the only difference in the calibration and does not affect reliability.

 

[Hellwig]

I was just reading online a JD Power article saying that driving in Eco mode is harder on the engine and transmission. Since I get around 12mpg in normal mode in city driving, I would like to improve my fuel economy, but not at the expense of costly repairs. Does anyone here have any experience with this?

It may reduce the lifespan of the engine from 300k to 200k. Do you really care?

 

[dlcorbett]

I never had any pwerrrain issues with my 18 expy, but my 20 nav used to throw powertrain malfunction codes on long road trips. After it happening a few times, I realized it would throw codes every time I used eco. It started happening after the truck hit 75k miles. The dealerships I took it to could never figure it out. I noticed the cause by driving it on a long road trip in normal, then switching it to eco. After a fill up, got back on the road and threw code. Stopped and turned it off for 5 min, turned it back on, left and kept it in normal. No more problems. It's been on about 3 more trips after that and never a problem. I stopped using eco, mostly normal and sport. On top of that, the engine and trans works better now...or did. I did miss the better ride and fuel economy of eco on the highway(it would get 23 mpg in eco, 21 maybe in normal) but I think in higher mileage and unknown habits if were not the original owner, eco is a detriment to long term performance.

 

[bmpcamry09]

I never had any pwerrrain issues with my 18 expy, but my 20 nav used to throw powertrain malfunction codes on long road trips. After it happening a few times, I realized it would throw codes every time I used eco. It started happening after the truck hit 75k miles. The dealerships I took it to could never figure it out. I noticed the cause by driving it on a long road trip in normal, then switching it to eco. After a fill up, got back on the road and threw code. Stopped and turned it off for 5 min, turned it back on, left and kept it in normal. No more problems. It's been on about 3 more trips after that and never a problem. I stopped using eco, mostly normal and sport. On top of that, the engine and trans works better now...or did. I did miss the better ride and fuel economy of eco on the highway(it would get 23 mpg in eco, 21 maybe in normal) but I think in higher mileage and unknown habits if were not the original owner, eco is a detriment to long term performance.

Was probably a one off issue. Perhaps a comm issue between your drive mode switch and the PCM.

But implying that eco mode reduces the life of the vehicle or long term performance is just made up false information.

Yes, “eco” mode on other brand vehicles IE Ram or GM trucks with DoD/V4 systems, often referred to as “eco” systems, are in fact detrimental to long term vehicle health. Doesn’t apply to your EB though.

I’ve spent more time inside the brain of these ecoboosts than most people. And I’ve tuned a few hundred of them at this point. But like I said, eco mode is not detrimental to the life of a vehicle. It literally changes nothing within the engine or transmission but the throttle pedal map. It’s literally a graph of pedal position application percentage versus implied torque demand percentage.

 

[dlcorbett]

Im In no way questioning your expertise with the engine, just speaking on my experience, thats why i prefaced my statement that my brand new at the time 18 expy gave me no such problems driving in eco mode atleast 70% of the 32k miles i had it for. You could be right in terms of eco mode itself not causing long term engine problems. However in the case of my latest vehicle, which i bought at 65k miles, having been a rental and not being the original owner, what I noticed was that driving in eco mode less while adding more miles on the same roads made the vehicle feel better and less problematic to my spouse and i.

Whether it was a one off issue or just a problem with my car, whatever the cause, it happened multiple times, only in eco mode and ford/lincoln could never figure it after putting in new turbos and other parts.

 

[bmpcamry09]

Might have had some first model year after update bug too. First year releases always have one off issues it seems.

 

[dlcorbett]

Might have had some first model year after update bug too. First year releases always have one off issues it seems.

That's why I wanted a 2020 or newer ford, because I knew they worked out a lot of the previous issues with the 4th gen. Both my 18 expy and 20 nav had issues, for different things. Outside of the 3-5 shifting harshness(and reverse clunk), my first run(it was built around the first weeks of the 2018 turnover) built 18 expys powertrain was absolutely perfect. I'm sure if I got my nav brand new, it would've performed flawlessly in all modes up until the 100k miles it has now.

 

[SyndicateZ]

Eco mode just prevents lead foots from being speed demons off the line.

 

[bmpcamry09]

That's why I wanted a 2020 or newer ford, because I knew they worked out a lot of the previous issues with the 4th gen. Both my 18 expy and 20 nav had issues, for different things. Outside of the 3-5 shifting harshness(and reverse clunk), my first run(it was built around the first weeks of the 2018 turnover) built 18 expys powertrain was absolutely perfect. I'm sure if I got my nav brand new, it would've performed flawlessly in all modes up until the 100k miles it has now.

Yep. Ford eliminated the 3-5 shift completely starting in 21 on the trucks and 22 on the Expedition. That alone fixed most of their complaints lol the first thing I do on customer tunes is eliminate the 3-5 shift. 1-3 is fine though and keeps the trans from feeling too busy.

 

[dlcorbett]

Yep. Ford eliminated the 3-5 shift completely starting in 21 on the trucks and 22 on the Expedition. That alone fixed most of their complaints lol the first thing I do on customer tunes is eliminate the 3-5 shift. 1-3 is fine though and keeps the trans from feeling too busy.

Dang I wish I coulda brought you my nav to get some help on it lol.

 

[Hellwig]

Yep. Ford eliminated the 3-5 shift completely starting in 21 on the trucks and 22 on the Expedition. That alone fixed most of their complaints lol the first thing I do on customer tunes is eliminate the 3-5 shift. 1-3 is fine though and keeps the trans from feeling too busy.

How about eliminate 5-3 downshift? Do you think it would make the downshift smoother? By the way, when I use sport mode, the rough downshift happens between 6 to 5.

 

[bmpcamry09]

How about eliminate 5-3 downshift? Do you think it would make the downshift smoother?

Yeah you technically could. But the way the clutches are designed, gears 3 and 5 use a lot of the same clutches so the trans has to do less work to make that downshift versus the others.

Many tuners revise the coast down shift scheduling and change up the speeds those down shifts occur, and that can eliminate some of the clunk. Expeditions are actually a bit heavier on some of the shift pressure tables I’ve noticed versus the trucks. Presumably because they are heavier. So that probably doesn’t help either.

Torque converter usually disengages going into 3rd at coast down shift scheduling depending on when that happens, a clunk can happen also.

 

[Hellwig]

Yeah you technically could. But the way the clutches are designed, gears 3 and 5 use a lot of the same clutches so the trans has to do less work to make that downshift versus the others.

Many tuners revise the coast down shift scheduling and change up the speeds those down shifts occur, and that can eliminate some of the clunk. Expeditions are actually a bit heavier on some of the shift pressure tables I’ve noticed versus the trucks. Presumably because they are heavier. So that probably doesn’t help either.

Torque converter usually disengages going into 3rd at coast down shift scheduling depending on when that happens, a clunk can happen also.

I would blame the torque converter then.

 

[Mr Big]

I have to ask the OP? You get 12mpg city driving? Are you in a hilly area? I live in the flat lands of Tampa Bay and I get 18.2mpg city driving.

 

[LokiWolf]

@BP 09 Knows this stuff INCREDIBLY well. I have seen his files, and he does good stuff! This thread is full of some amazing info!

 

[bmpcamry09]

@BP 09 Knows this stuff INCREDIBLY well. I have seen his files, and he does good stuff! This thread is full of some amazing info!

Thanks Ray! Ive taken a few more courses and I’ve made a bunch of improvements since your files. Need to get you an update.

 

[Grizguy]

12 MPG!? That crazy! I get 18.. 19 mpg with my 19 expy MAX with the trailer pkg. 9 mpg when pulling even a small trailer. mostly interstate driving 80 MPG I do get a little better mpg when I use eco. I try to ALWAYS use eco.. But I drive 3 different trucks, I dont alwas remember to turn on

 

[99WhiteC5Coupe]

I was just reading online a JD Power article saying that driving in Eco mode is harder on the engine and transmission. Since I get around 12mpg in normal mode in city driving, I would like to improve my fuel economy, but not at the expense of costly repairs. Does anyone here have any experience with this?

Please post a link to the article, or the text of the article, so others may see who said what.

 

[Alwaysthinkin]

Please post a link to the article, or the text of the article, so others may see who said what.

Believe this might be the article @vintshave was talking about.

https://www.jdpower.com/cars/shopping-guides/what-is-eco-mode